Structures Glossary

= Words on your Glossary Test (20 terms) - Define 15 & submit your glossary that day that you wrote out.

Arch - A structure or part of a structure formed in a regular curve. Used as support or to create an opening in a structure.

Bend - A structural change caused when an external force generates tension / compression in a beam.

Arch Bridge - A bridge that uses at least one arch, made of steel, concrete or stone to support the bridge either from below or above.

Beam Bridge - A bridge made of at least one beam supported at each end and sometimes with columns underneath

Truss Bridge - A frame bridge that relies on a system of triangular supports to support its load.

Suspension Bridge - A bridge that uses cables strung from towers at each end to support the bridge from above.

Cantilever Bridge - A bridge that relies on masses at either end to support the span of the middle.

Buckle - A structural change caused by compression on a beam or part (wrinkling or pleating or collapsing results).

Centre of Gravity - The point in a structure at which you can picture the mass of the object being concentrated.

Compression - A force within a structure or part of a structure that squeezes or pushes.

Corrugation - The regular pleating or rippling of a material, used to strengthen the material as in cardboard.

Database - Information organized by categories, usually generated by using a computer.

Dead Load - The static load caused by gravity acting on the mass of a structure; The weight of the structure.

Dynamic Load - The load on a structure caused by a force other than graviy.

Factor of Safety - A measure of how safe a structure is. To figure out the factor of safety, divide the live load a structure can bear by the live load expected under maximum use.

Fastener - A device that holds 2 or more pieces of material together.

Field - An area to enter a category of information in a database.

Frame Structure - A structure formed from components that are fastened together to support and strengthen each other.

Gusset - A small piece of material used to reinforce a seam or joint where tension forces are expected to act.

Lamination - A technique- two or more layers of material are glued / fastened together to make the material stronger.

Live Load - A static load; caused by gravity acting on all of the things in and on a structure that are not part of the structure.

Load - The effort of forces acting on a structure; static loads are caused by gravity, dynamic loads are caused by other forces.

Magnitude of Force - A description of the strength of a force.

Mass Structure - Another name for a solid structure formed from a single unit.

Planned obsolescence - A process in which a product is intentionally designed to be replaced after a limited time.

Shear - Two forces that act in opposite directions along the same plane inside an object.

Shell Structure - A structure that is built as solid surface around a hollow area; shell structures rely on curves (arches) to help them bear loads.

Solid Structure - A structure formed from a single unit.

Span - A section of a bridge that lies between two supports.

Stable - A structure is stable if it remains on its base, undamaged, when acted on by forces it is built to withstand

Static Load - A load caused by the force of gravity

Structural failure - A permanent change in a structure,,, caused by forces.

Strut A member That supports a structure; the dominant force within a strut is compression

Tension - A stretching or pulling force within a structure © c/por part of a sructure.

Tie - A member tha supports a structure; it's under tension

Torsion - A twisting force within a structure; created by applying opposite rotational forces

Truss - A structural element made up of a series of riangular frames

Twist The structural change caused by a torsion force acting within a structure

Work plan - A plan for how a product will be built